These Are the Most Powerful Use Cases of Vine for Marketers

With an increased emphasis on content, video has emerged as one of the primary areas of focus for marketers. But while video production can demand a considerable amount of resources, that’s not the case for most Vine videos. Vine is structured around a low-tech approach, making the barrier to entry almost nonexistent. As a result, the tool offers several meaningful use cases for marketers across industries.

Requiring only a smartphone and user account, Vine has become a favored tool among brands. Since its launch, it has challenged marketers to think more creatively and nonlinearly about storytelling. A good Vine draws the viewer in and can stand on its own, even if it’s part of a series. Here are some inspiring examples of how you can incorporate Vine into your outreach strategy.

Take Fans Where They Can’t Go

Social media has enabled marketers to share authentic details and stories about their brands, resulting in stronger relationships with customers. Loyal fans subscribe to, like, and comment on your updates because they want to learn more about your brand, and social media has given you an easy way to do that.

But people are curious by nature — who doesn’t want to see what’s behind the curtain? Whether it’s a sneak-peek of an upcoming feature or a glimpse behind-the-scenes, your customers are curious about the inner-workings of your brand. Video is the perfect medium for doing just that, and Vine can help you pull it off.

Take this Vine from the TODAY Show’s Al Roker. It’s one thing to tweet about planting a salsa garden with Martha Stewart, but it’s another to give viewers an exclusive look at what happens when the TV cameras stop filming. Exclusive content like this is a great way to reward your social media followers.

Even consumer brands can benefit from the occasional behind-the-scenes Vine. In addition to sharing recipe ideas and introducing new flavors, Ben & Jerry’s regularly brings it fans behind the counter to show off how its ice cream is made and packaged.

Inspire Conversation

One of the biggest motivators for marketers using social media is to drive engagement by sparking conversations or user-generated content. It can be as simple and spontaneous as asking a question like Paul McCartney did with his quick “Can you guess the song?” videos, or a bit more strategized like General Electric’s #6SecondScience Fair videos.

The latter encouraged fans to experiment with and share their own six-second science lessons. Although there wasn’t a contest element to this campaign (the company did share stand-outs through its social channels) it generated a strong response from fans. The company’s #6SecondScience Fair Tumblr hosts more than 300 user-generated submissions. And even after the week-long campaign, the associated hashtag is still used by the brand and viewers alike.

Build Anticipation

Another reason why video is such a valuable asset to your content strategy is that it does a great job of building anticipation. There are several ways brands can capitalize on this, but here are a couple of our favorites.

Rolling Stone creates a Vine video to tease fans with upcoming magazine covers. It’s a great way to create interest around an issue before its release, but it also helps to drive engagement as fans are asked to guess who it is before the big reveal.

Electronic music group The Glitch Mob teases upcoming album previews through its Vine account, while film directors like James Mangold use Vine for movie teasers ahead of official trailer releases. It’s really a great way to build excitement and expand reach since these six-second videos are so shareable.

The most important thing to remember when creating videos is to have fun. Vine is a unique platform that lets you show off your creativity — use it to entertain and educate. Once you’ve developed a sense of what type of videos you want to make, just grab your custom URL and start filming.

Jennifer has worked as a community manager and social media strategist for several startups. Now she’s focused on educating others about social media strategy and the digital marketing space. When she’s not writing, you can find her studying anatomy and physiology — she literally has a skeleton in her closet — or in the kitchen testing a new Pinterest recipe.